Improvement in piano-fortes



N.PETERS, PHOTDLITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON D C aient dtiiiiire.

GEORGE ELY, OF NEW YORK,

Letters Patent No. 102,668, dated May 3, lSO.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-FORTES.

The Schedule referred to in theseLetters Patent and making part of the same To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Geenen Em', of the city,

county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Fortes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Y Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of this in vention;

yFigure 2 is a. longitudinal vertical section of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improved agraife-bar, which is provided with a lip catching under the bottom edge of the tuning-block, and which is retained in position by the strain of the strings, the upwardstrain of the strings pressing the lips of the agraifebar up against the bottom surface of the tuning-block,

while the longtdinal strain of said strings is connteracted by a series of bearing points of the metal frame, whereby the agraifebar is firmly pressed against the inner surface ot"thetuningblock, and by these means all parts of myinstrumentl are enabled to resist the strainof the strings, and an instrument is obtained which is not liable to get out of tune for a long time, and the tone of which is rich and strong.

The invention relates also to a transverse bar in the metal frame, which servesto support, the inner end ot' the sounding-board, and which also may form one of the bearing-points for the agraffe-bar, said soundingboard being made to extend from the hitch-pin end of the metal frame only to the transverse bar, and being seeuredtosaidv transverse bar and tothe side bars and hitch-pin plate of the metal frame by means of screws, so that the inherent `tension of the sounding-board is preserved, and the quality ofthe tone of the instrument is materially improved.

In .the drawing- The letter A designates a metal frame, which is composed of a longitudinal bar, B, an oblique bar, O, two transverse bars, D'Ii, the inner edge bar F, and the hitch-pin plate H.

Said metal frame is fastened to the case I by means of screws a., as shown in tig. 1 of the drawing, and the inner ends of the bars C, D, and E and the inner edge of the hitch-pin plate II bear against the surface otv the agratTe-bar J.

This aigraife-baris cast or otherwise produced independent, with a lip, l1, (see iig. 3,) which catches under the lower edge of the tuning-block K.

The top edge of said agraffe-bar is flush with the upper surface of the tuning-block, andthe agraiies c are inserted therein, as shown in the drawing.

The strings s extend from the. tuning-pins over bridges d, secured tothe edge of the tuning-block, thence down through the agratfes and over the sounding-board bridges e f to the hitch-pins g. If the strings are tightened, they exert anA upward strain on the agraifes, and also a strain in the direct-ion of their length.

By the upward strain of the strings, the lip b of the agraife-bar J is drawn up tight against the bottom surface of the tuning-block, while the longitudinal strain of the strings is counteracted by the ends of the bars O, D, and E, and the edge of the hitch-piu plate H, which bear against the surfacecf the agraife-bar and hold the same firmly in Contact with the inner surface of the tuning-block. v

If desired, an additional brace, N, may be used between the bearing-points of the transverse bar E and of the hitch-pin plate H, said brace being made to bear at one end against a lug, h, cast on the hitch-pin plate, and, at its opposite end, against the edge of the agi-affebar.

The agrade-bar is provided wit-h projecting lugs, i, (see fie". 3,) for the ends of the bars -D and E to rest upon, so as to support the free end of the metal frame.

By this arrangement of the metal frame in relation to the agrade-bar and tuning-block, the immense strain of the strings is eounteracted, and an instrument is obtained which retains its tune for a long time.

To thc metal frame A is secured the sounding board L. Y

In constructing my sonmling-board I proceed as follows:

After the wood ispcrfeetly dry, I cut the soundingboard to the required length, which, in an ordinary square piano-forte, is equal to about three and onehalf feet. I then either coinpress the board, or allow it to shrink, so as to reduce its length about one and one-fourth inch, and then, before the board has time to recover its original state, I quickly glue to its under surface the ribs or bars l, and thereby the bottom surface of the board is prevented from recovering its orig-` inal or normal state. After the glue has set and dried, and the clamping-screws (which are used ingluing the ribs to the board) have been removed, the upper surface. of the board recovers its original or normal state, and, in consequence thereof, the board curves upward two or more inches. This curved board is secured to the bars B E F by screws in, and to the edge of the hitch'pin plate H by screws a, and, by drawing these screws uptight, the board is forced back into a tiat state and it remains compressed in itself, whereby the strength and brilliancy of tone are materially improved.

In order to earry out this invention successfully, it is essential that the said sounding-board shall be shortcned or compressed as much as possible, and the transverse bar ll of the metal frame7 which supports one 'edge of the sounding-board, is therefore of theI greatest importance.

It is obvious that this transverse bar may be so placed that the sounding-board will rest on its upper instead of against its lower surface, or the screws which fasten the sounding-board to the metal frame might be inserted from below instead of from above, or they may pass horizontally through the said bar into the sounding-board.

It is also obvious that this Ainvention is applicable to grand piano-fortes and partially to upright pianofortes, as well as to square piano-fortes.

Having thus described my invention7 What I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPateut, is-

l. 'lhe agrade-bar J', provided with a lip underlapping the bottom edge of the tuning-blocks, ineombination with the several bearing-points ot' the metal frame A, which' press the agrae-bar up against tne tuning-block by the tension ot' the strings7 substantially as described.

2. The transverse bar E, castA with the metal frame and forming a support for one edge of the soundingboard, substantially as s'et forth.

3. The method herein described of constructing and attaching the sounding-board by introducing the same in a curved state, caused by previous compression, and setting it straight by means of screws passing through the bars B E .F and the edge of the hitch-pin plate H, all as set forth.

A GEORGE ELY.

Witnesses:

E. F. KASTENHUBER, J OHN A. WIEDERSHEIM. 

